When we finally come crashing down to the entrance, we find the streets empty. The light from the center spire has driven the zombies back into the shadows, giving us the perfect chance to make it back to the spire. I ask Twilight if she could teleport us all the way back to the P.C.H., but she hesitates to respond. I ask again, but then Shining butted in to answer.

Apparently, they think that I'll explode from being teleported, like when I was changing in Quartz Crest. I want to be offended, but the sad truth is that I might. It happened before; why couldn't it happen again? In the end, I had to magically run to the center while they teleported there. I want to be bitter about it, but their fears are valid. I can hurt them. Therefore, I ran.

"They're back!" Fire Burst yells from his sleeping roll as I land just outside of their little encampment. "Did you bring me what I ask for?"

"Uh... you didn't ask for anything," Shining says, giving me a completely confused look.

"Really.... huh, could have sworn I asked for something,” he says as he thinks deeply about... whatever it was he was looking forward to.

"Did you guys get the heart?" True Will asks, getting nods from all of us. "Great. We should get going while the light..." As if on queue, the light suddenly dims from the center spire, stopping True Will mid sentence.

"You realize you jinxed that, right?" Dust Devil asks him, getting an annoyed gruff from him.

"Anyway, let’s take the heart to the Crystal Guardian and get out of here already," I say as I reach into Shining’s bag and pull out the heart. I give everyone a few moments to gather their things before heading over to the spire. "Okay, we're going to need to make an exit the Guardian can get through. That's going to take a couple of hours waiting at the edge of the city. Keep together and watch the shadows. I don't think they'll come anywhere near the Guardian, but I don't want to take any..."

CR-CR-CRACK

We all jump back as massive cracks begin to form on the spire. The crystal guardian begins to pull himself free from the column as shards fly all around Shining’s shield, which he had luckily put up instinctively. Once the showers of shards ends, he drops the shield and we approach the guardian, heart in tow.

"Hey guys." We all look down and stop as Fluttershy walks out from between his feet. "I have good news."

"How did you get in there?" I ask.

"Well he..."

"Why didn't you tell any of us you went in there!?" Rainbow Dash yells.

"I just thought..."

"What did you find in there?" True Will asks.

"I..."

"Were you the one who ate my muffin last week!" Pinkie demands.

"*inaudible squeal*"

"AHEM, PERHAPS YOU SHOULD LET HER EXPLAIN BEFORE ASKING QUESTIONS!"

We all step back and give Fluttershy some space, who looked as if she was about to crumble into herself. She takes a few deep breaths before standing upright and readying herself.

“Okay... Okay... so, when everypony was telling stories... I decided to try to talk to CeeGee here. He led me to the P.C.H. to... well... talk. It turns out that he's dying. You see, he was the cure to the disease here, but nopony was able to administer him. The generators below apparently started becoming overpowered, so the crystal started to form, merging with the spell and making CeeGee here. Now, there was a group of survivors here, but they stayed away from the P.C.H. It was originally crawling with... them. As time went on, he grew larger, and the infested people were driven away. The last of the survivors, at first, were too scared to come near CeeGee. Eventually a small group of twenty made the trip here, and... well... let’s just say they aren't here anymore.”

“Ceegee needs ponies to live. They spell was formed to grow and mature with souls and protect them. The disease kills souls, so they thought that this spell would stop the infestation. The reason I was acting crazy earlier was because I was infected as well. Don't worry though! CeeGee already cured me, so I'm fine now. But there's still the problem of CeeGee though. After a long discussion we decided that it would be best to move him to the Crystal Empire. In exchange he'll agree to become the new guardian of the city. So... then I started to leave to tell everypony, and then we talked.. and... well... that's everything so..."

"Wait," Shining says as he steps forward. "He wants to protect the Crystal Empire...? Really?"

"Well, most of those crystals are offshoots from him anyway, but yes. He needs the hearts, strength, and souls to lift him up. Otherwise he'll wither away. He's only been alive down here because the generators have been fueling him with so much energy. But if you can't take him in, I guess we can..."

"NONONO! We can take him! I mean... we'll see. Let's start by getting him there first..."

"No, let’s start with the message from my friends," I say, getting a nod from him. "Alright, here's the heart, can we go in now?" I ask, getting the guardian to step aside. I take a deep breath before leading the way inside.

Once we walk through the crystal pathway we find the P.C.H. It's still intact, for the most part at least. It has been turned to crystal, and shows evidence of some fighting, but it still stands tall. We make our way through the spinning doors and enter the Mico station. Immediately, a crystal spike goes through seemingly all of the platforms. I guess he doesn't want us going just anywhere.

We spread out and search each of the platforms. It takes us a bit, but we eventually find the right one; the armory. Lucky for us, I guess. I take a seat before it and begin to search through for the right files.

"Whoa," I mumble as I find them, "six videos."

"Well, I guess they really missed you," Fluttershy says as I start the first one. Strangely enough, they aren't dated this time.

The video starts out with a shot of some wall and... yelling. I listen closely and come to the conclusion that it's Tenera and... everyone, arguing. I shift a bit when I hear them saying my name a lot. Are they trying to force her to do this?

"Miles!" Tenera yells as she storms in front of the camera. "Go fuck yourself!" she yells as she flips me off and ends the video. Everyone stays quiet as we stare at the blank screen. I'm a little surprised that she was still mad at me despite Fidus telling everyone what really happened.

"Wait a minute," Storm mumbles from behind. "The thing she did with her finger, was that an insult?"

"Yup! It basically means fuck you..."

"ASS! You used to do that to me all the time!" he yells, getting me to laugh.

"Damn straight I did!" We all share a laugh as I turn back to him and flip him off.

"How vulgar. Can we please move on?" Rarity asks as she toys with her mane.

"Alright, alright, here we go," I say as I start the next video. Again, it's not dated. This time it starts out with Tenera sitting in front of the screen, slouching as she fiddles with something in her hands. It's beneath the table, so I can't see what it is. Her eyes are red, evidence of her recent tears, and she looks a complete mess.

"*sigh* Ruby Canyon genetic experiment number 102-C, Alpha. The supposed solution to our problems. A civilization of super people, no ailments. No pain. No disease. Perfection,” she says as she lifts up a syringe and looks it over before the screen. It’s filled with some kind of black substance that... I hope she doesn't inject herself with it.

"The last best hope for humanity, and it's only for Ruby Canyon citizens," she growls as she tightens her grip on it, anger taking over her face. "Before the last video I went out into the city and beat some guy into a pulp to get my hands on this. I wanted to give it to Fidus... but... 'Do not inject if you have a history of soul fluctuations, have mental disabilities, or are pregnant. Pregnant.... FUCK!" she yells as she smashes the syringe onto the table, shattering it. She slouches over the mess as she breaks down in tears. I shift uneasily as I watch her sob, unable to comfort my friend. I've never seen her this... lost. This broken.

"WHY?!" she screams hysterically at the screen. "Why Miles!? She's my sister, how could you hide that from me?! What gives you the right to make that choice Miles? Tell me.... TELL ME!" The video ends. We keep quiet as I sigh to myself. It was the last thing Fidus ever asked me, to not tell anyone. It was one of the last things she said to any of us with it being forced.

With a slight shake of my head I start the next video. This time it's being taken from someone’s phone. The city’s emergency alarm is going off and people are panicking in the hallway. The camera turns and enters a room, showing all of my friends getting ready for... something. I don't think it's an invasion, due to the lack of explosions and screaming people. But they seem to be getting ready for some kind of fight.

"Fidus! Put your phone away and get back inside your room! It's too dangerous to..."

"I'm taking video for Miles!" she yells back, getting them all to pause. "In case he gets inside here, ya know. Give him some clue to what's going on."

"... Alright... Captains in the back with Tenera, you should go talk to them," Eximius says as he slides his helmet on. I guess they're letting him fight now, despite his... condition. And hey, Fidus is talking again. That's good... I hope. The camera moves to the back of the room and down a hall where the sound of shots being fired becomes louder and louder. She enters the last room to reveal Tenera and Captain Bellum shooting out of a window. Captain... I take a deep breath as I pause the video. This could be it. This could end everything right now.

"Are you alright, Miles?" Fluttershy asks as she nudges my arm.

"Do you need a moment?" Rarity asks.

"No, no I'm fine. I just... this could end it, you know," I say to them, getting reassuring smiles in response.

"Lord I hope so. You know how many close calls I had?" Fire Burst says, getting a smack upside the head from Aurane. I turn back and resume the video.

"Fidus? What are you doing here?" Captain Bellum asks as he turns back to reload.

"I just..."

"Get back to the front room where it's safe!" Tenera yells before firing.

"Get Inficiunt in here. We need to destroy all of the roof tops to put them on the same level," Captain says before turning back out the window to fire.

"But..."

"No buts! Go already!" Fidus sets the camera down, giving us a beautiful view of the ceiling as she goes to confront Bellum.

"Susurrans, you need to talk to him already!"

"Not now, Fidus..."

"If not now, then when!? You can't keep running from..."

"Damn it woman I said..."

CRASH

Though we don't see it, I know what happened. He called her woman. He has to be pinned on the ground in some kind of hold, oh what I would give to be able to see this right now.

"What did you..."

"SORRY, SORRY, JUST STOP! YOU'RE GOING TO BREAK IT!" Bellum yells in pain.

"Grab the camera, go to the other room, and talk to Miles." Besides the occasional shot being fired from Tenera, everything goes quiet. Someone grabs the camera and storms out of the room. They enter another room and...

"Miles," Bellum starts as he lifts the camera to himself. "I know where this is all going. Don't be scared. Don't let up. I know we'll meet again, eventually. Until then." The video ends. SON OF A... HE... AND.... GRAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

"Let’s just got to the next one and pretend that went differently," Rainbow Dash says, getting nods from everyone. I let out a sigh of defeat and click the next one. I swear, if I ever get the chance, I'm punching Susurrans in the face for that one.

The next one starts out with Tenera sitting in a dark room with her back pressed against the wall. She's in her armor and is holding her rifle with one hand as he holds the phone with the other. She takes a few moments to catch her breath as she shuffles into the corner.

"Miles..." she whispers, "they... they, it's too much. Everyone who took the serum... died. Only they're not dead. They came back and started attacking everyone else. We held up at the P.C.H. for a few days, but then the Unfamiliar attacked. At first they were just dealing with the... dead, but then they somehow found a way to fight us both! I don't understand it! The dead are attacking and they find a way to fight US!

"I... everyone's evacuating from the city. Or, they already did. I was holding the rear when a wave of Unfamiliars attacked us. About four other Spartans stayed with me to hold them off... I'm the only one left. Miles, I'm so scared. I don't want to become one of them, Miles. I don't want to be here. If Discord finds me..."

"WHAT!" Everyone yells behind me, making me pause the video.

"Discord was there!? What?! How does... but... huh?!" Twilight exclaims.

"Who is Discord again?" I ask, the name feeling familiar.

"He... well, he..."

"He's the jerk who used to rule Equestria! That's who!" Rainbow Dash yells as she shakes her hoof in the air.

"He turned Ponyville into the Chaos capital of the world!" Rarity adds.

"He.... he betrayed my trust," Fluttershy says quietly as she shirks away from the group.

"Well... now we know where he got his start. Let’s finish this already," I say as I turn back and resume the video.

"...He'll... he'll... I don't even know! He changes people, literally! He turned a man into a lamp, smashed the bulb, then turned him back! How do you fight that!? Inficiunt tried his Boomstick, but that only pissed him off! I don't know how I'm going to get out of here Miles... Miles please... help me." She begins to cry again as the sound of footsteps passes by the door. "Miles..." Then the video ends.

Without a word being said, I start the next video. I need to make sure she got out of there safely. Please don't let her die here. Please. The next one starts with Tenera sitting on the edge of a bed, looking less scared than before. She takes a deep breath before looking straight to the camera to speak.

"Right... so, stop pleading, Miles. I'm safe now. A... friend, came and rescued me. Um... well... he... I don't think I can do this," she says to... whoever is behind the camera, getting the video to end. That was... beyond confusing. Time to start the next one then. Again, it's Tenera sitting on the bed, probably just moments after the last video.

"OK, so, you need to go to Po... Ponyville? Yeah, go to Ponyville. There's something there that you need to... deal with... Your writing still s..." And the video ends abruptly. OK.... more confused now, but last one. This one takes place in the armory we're in now, with Tenera sitting before the computer we're sitting at now.

"Okay, three things: go to Ponyville, send Storm to the thing you find there, and give Luna a call. You need to do those things before going to Galena, which is a hundred meters south of the town center in Coalton. I'm leaving my carbine for.... Fluttershy? Who is Fluttershy...? Anyway, keep going. You've got about a week and a half left.... oh, and stand up, your chair is melting." Right on queue, I fall back as the molten pile of crystal slag crumbles beneath me. I jump up and look myself over, seeing that my lines have grown to my waist.

"Why is yoooooohhis chair melting? Really... but... anyway, yeah." She pauses for a second as she waits for whoever's recording to stop, only they don't. "What? ... NO! I already did! .... nope, once is enough, now end it already." She gets up and rushes the camera just before it ends. I look back and confirm everyone's confusion before hearing a clicking sound beneath the table. I look beneath and pry open the chest, revealing Tenera’s crystallized carbine.

"Well... she did say it was for Fluttershy," I say as I pass it over to her. She takes the long rifle in her hooves and looks it over. She points it down the hall and tries to fire, only to get a click.

"Maybe it needs ammo?" she says as she hands it back to me.

"No, it was an energy weapon. It shouldn't need..."

PEW

I accidentally fire a round straight up, having it ricochet off the ceiling and bounce right in front of Fire Burst, blowing a hole in the ground before him.

...

...

...

...

...

"Well," I start as I hand the rifle back to Fluttershy. “At least we know it works," I try, only getting glares from the three mercs.

"I THINK NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO LEAVE THIS WRETCHED PLACE, UNLESS YOU WISH FOR MORE TO DIE"

"That... was not on purpose.... sorry," I say as I stand up. "Alright, let’s go then...."

"ALLOW ME"

Walls of crystal surround us before we all fall to the ground from the exertion of being forced up. We lie flat against the crystal as it climbs higher and higher through the crust. I'm fairly certain that, at this rate, we've already cleared through the top of the dome.

CRASH

After an unknown amount of time, I think I blacked out, we come crashing through the ground. We scatter a bit as we fling up into the air and come crashing down. We all groan a bit as we try to get back on our feet while fighting the urge to vomit.

"Miles... let’s never do that again," Pinkie says from my side as she wobbly stands.

"Sounds good to me," I say as I stumble up. I look back to see the Crystal Guardian reform a few meters from us, keeping clear of the palace. Many of the citizens around here have already crowded around where we landed. Probably looking for their missing relic. An eerie silence falls over the crowd as the gawk at the guardian, unsure of what to say.

"Miles!" Cadence whispers loudly to me as she lands beside me. "Where's the heart!?"

"Shining should still have..." Before I could finish she runs over to him and starts to have a loud/quiet talk with him. I edge my way over to Twilight and kneel beside her.

"Hey, just in case things go south, get ready to teleport everyone out of here."

"I'm sure everypony will understand..."

"That's what we said about Cadence earlier." I cut her off. She thinks about it for a second before nodding to me. We both turn and watch as Cadence takes the heart out and approaches the Guardian, who takes a knee and sets a fist on the ground.

"QUEEN OF CRYSTALS, PRINCESS OF EQUINES, I AM THE CRYSTAL GUARDIAN. I KNEEL BEFORE YOU IN RESPECT OF YOUR DEVOTION TO YOUR PEOPLE. I KNEEL BEFORE YOU IN AWE OF YOUR PASSION FOR LOVE, AND I KNEEL BEFORE YOU IN HOPE THAT I MAY GIVE STRENGTH TO THESE GOOD PEOPLE. MY LIFE IS TO PROTECT THESE PEOPLE. I STRIVE IN THEIR GOOD NATURE, SO PLEASE RESTORE MY HEART. GIVE ME THE POWER TO BRING THE LIGHT TO THEIR LIVES, TO CAST OUT DARKNESS, AND TO BRING FORTH A NEW ERA OF DEVOTION. I LIVED TO SERVE A CURSED PEOPLE BEFORE, LET ME SERVE THOSE WHO LIVE."

"Dude... how does he know all of that?" Rainbow asks in a hushed voice.

"Crystal Guardian. My name is Queen Mi Amore Cadenza, ruler of the Crystal Empire. What proof do you have to show your good faith to the ponies of my country?" The Guardian stands and reaches towards Cadence, making the heart fly out if her telekinetic grasp and into his palm. He takes a hold of it and presses it into his chest, where it begins to shine brightly. Once he gets it in place, he punches the ground with a massive swing . A tremendous wall of energy shoots out from him and blinds me for a second, pushing me back some as the energy shoots beyond me.

"MY PROOF HAS BEEN PREVALENT SINCE THE DAWNING OF YOUR PEOPLE. AS LONG AS THERE IS LIFE HERE, I SHALL STAND"

I open my eyes and look around to find everyone having a crystal-y appearance. I look at my own hands and laugh a bit as they shine brightly. I feel the same, I guess it's just.... just...

"*cough cough cough* The.... fuck," I stammer as I suddenly begin coughing. I drop to a knee as I hold my chest, feeling a heavy, tense pressure begin to build up.

"You alright?" Fire Burst asks as he approaches me. "Are you allergic to shininess?" he asks with a giggle as I continue to cough.

"Just.... ju*cough cough* need a... *cough cough cough* AAAAARGG!" I growl as I feel my energy begin to spike. I try to hold it back, but that only intensifies the pressure.

"Uh, guys! I think we have a problem..."

"AAAAAAHHH!" I scream out as I feel a surge of energy force its way out. I slam my fists onto the ground in an attempt to release it....

KRA-BOOM

.........................................................................................................................................................

Everypony on the train keeps quiet as we edge closer to Ponyville. Miles hasn't woken up yet, though we hadn't expected him to. Another change, this soon. I guess his friend wasn't joking when she said a week and a half. At this this rate.... I tighten my grasp on Storm’s hooves as we both lay on the same bench. I don't want to think about that, not now at least.

"It'll be alright, Twi," Storm reassures me as he pulls me closer, putting my back against his unarmored belly. "We knew this day was coming, it's why we went in the first place."

"I know, but... I've never lost a friend before. Not like this," I say as I twist around to face him. "How did you do it? When you lost Rain Drop, that is?" I ask, getting a troubled look from him.

"I didn't, Twilight. I was.. going down a very slippery slope from that point on. That is, until I met you and Miles,” he says as he rubs his nose against mine. "We'll have each other to keep us strong, Twilight," he says as he leans his head forward and closes his eyes.

"I know... Storm?"

"Yeah?"

"What do we tell Luna?" He opens his eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to think of the best to word this.

"Nothing." We both jump and turn around as we see Miles sit up, rubbing his head a bit as he takes in his surroundings. "I'll tell her... *sigh* week and a half huh?" he says as he looks over his hands. They're both ignited in addition to his heels, the lines going up to his knees and elbows. "Eleven days, time to make them count. What happened, by the way? Back at the Crystal Empire." Twilight and I look to each other before sitting upright to talk with him.

"...You killed Fire Burst," I start slowly, getting a slow sigh from him. "You threw your fist down and caused an implosion. Fire Burst was the only casualty. We explained everything to Cadence, she understands."

"That's good, kind of," Miles says as he hugs his knees. "What about the Crystal Guardian? What did he do?"

"He... it was amazing actually, he nearly tripled the size of the Crystal Empire. They'll have growth for generations to come. Most ponies didn't even realize we left, they were so happy. New farms to grow, new homes to build... It was the miracle they've been looking for. That, and the Guardian is going to stand sentinel over the city, so their spirits are... higher than when they were freed from Sombra’s curse."

"That's good to hear," he says distantly. Everypony stays quiet as the train begins to near Ponyville. I lean against Storm as I try to let all of the stress out. Breathe in.... breathe out. Just like Cadence taught me. No tears now. We need to move on first.

The train comes to a stop at the station and Miles tries to leave. We quickly find out that wood burns easily without heat resistance spells. I can tell he was troubled by it, but once we we able to leave the cart he started to feel better. Soil burns, just not as noticeably. We start walking down the street when music begins to draw our attention.

"Do you hear that?" Miles asks.

"Yeah... it sounds familiar," I say as I look back to the girls, getting nods in confirmation.

"Well Ah'd know that music anywhere!" Applejack yells when she pieces it together.

"Flim and Flam," True Will says, getting all of us to pause.

"How did you know that?" I ask him as he begins to sweat a bit.

"Miles, they know where a city is," he says as he pushes forward.

"What? How...?"

"Because they're the two ponies who've been there before." I pause for a second when I see a tear roll down his cheek. I didn't know he had emotions. This won't end well.

This is long over due, but give a hand to Alpha AiE for becoming my Pre-reader/editor. Also, AfterTouch has agreed to go though my older chapters (once he gets windows... waiting) so give him some love as well.

On another note, whatmustido apparently helped AlphaAiE with this chapter, so thanks for the help.

If anyone else feels they're up to the challenge of helping me with older chapters let me know and we'll get to work on that.

Brony on!